To Be Determined
by Magi Silverwolf
Summary: Heroes show up when they are needed, and some show up just in the nick of time. The kind of time that this is is still to be determined.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the original canon nor am I making any profit from writing this piece. All works are accredited to their original authors, performers, and producers while this piece is mine. No copyright infringement is intended. I acknowledge that all views and opinions expressed herein are merely my interpretations of the characters and situations found within the original canon and may not reflect the views and opinions of the original author(s), producer(s), and/or other people.

 **Warnings:** This story may contain material that is not suitable for all audiences and may offend some readers. References are made to a stillbirth and childhood emotional neglect. References are also made to human experimentation and the dehumanization of operatives.

 **Author's Note(s):** Yes, that is the right title, and no, it is not a stand-in while I wait for a better title. That out of the way, there's some vagueness that's going to happen, especially at first as this piece merges MCU and various runs of the comics. Also, I'm pulling some information from the _Firefly_ comics, but I don't think that majorly comes into play until Book's narration in the next part. I did change one thing completely: the 'Verse in this has adopted the more compact _hanzi_ as their written language over continuing to use both scripts as implied by various screenshots where the audience is meant to glean written information. All other things, just accept that they are as they are presented.

 **Author Notes about the Competition Data** :  
 **Hogwarts House** : Gryffindor  
 **Word Count** : 3607 (Story & Sectional Titles); 3617 (Story, Sectional Titles, & Epigraph)

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To Be Determined

Part 01: Breaking Sets

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"I am half child, half ancient." – Bjork

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 _The Sun Rises and the Tower Falls_

After a while, people begin to forget things had not always been the way they were now. Given enough time, this would happen to everyone and everything, especially when things are deliberately hidden at any point. Information gets handed down sometimes, but after long enough, it can fade into a myth or a legend, to be believed only by the foolish, the desperate, or the most brilliant. Finding lost relics from the Earth-That-Was usually was something that was broadwaved to every server on the Cortex as proof of the value of such a relic. It always carried the smug subtext of superior intellect opposed to the other two options.

That did not happen when _The_ _Tower_ was discovered mostly intact.

It had long been held that references to _The Tower_ were more of a euphuism than fact. After all, it was not an Ark-class ship and those were hard enough to get from Earth-That-Was. A smaller ship should not have feasibly made the trip at all. Still, the myth persisted of a ship which carried the legacy of the warm lights of mankind and acted as the scout ship for the caravan of arks. Every single one of the arks had references to _The Tower_ and its mysterious cargo, or at least all the ones they still had the records of, but none of those records included where the ship had ended up once it had arrived in the system. It remained a common analogy for lost causes and pointless quests, even among the scientists of _Blue Sun_ , until it was _found_.

The ship was surprisingly empty of things for being rumored to be carrying such important legacies. There were only a few artifacts where the evacuation team could get and a great many locked areas. There did seem to be some kind of awareness to the ship, a perpetual sense of being watched and monitored wherever one was on the ship. It was unnerving, even to those people who grew up on a Core planet where recorders were everywhere. Then there were the pods.

There were four of them, three men and a woman. All of them were in cryo-stasis and dressed in odd, practically archaic fashion. Each glass cryo-pod bore a vague label in a language which was definitely not any known form of _hanzi_. In hindsight, it would have behooved them to translate the words or wait until they could fully confirm that _The Tower_ contained no manifest or other record. Doing so would have prepared them to better contain the two they chose for the first defrost.

In the end, the loss of the female and one of the males could be considered acceptable given the likelihood of future recapture. In the meantime, _Blue Sun_ had bigger problems to focus on as the Outer Planets began their rebellion. The second defrost had given them a powerful edge as the man awoke coldly obedient and viciously efficient at training operatives. They elected to not fully defrost the fourth pod, using him to pull biological samples from instead.

The Asset was so useful for the training of operatives, and controlling them after their upgrades, that it was only logical to transfer him to the Academy after the Unification War. Finally, they could assure that all their operative had uniformed training. Trainers had such a messy habit of dying frequently, often at the hands of their charges, but the Asset had no issues and allowed no disobedience. It was masterful to watch him work and the operatives trained by him quickly gained the best track records.

Eventually, they moved both the Asset and the still frozen man to a different, larger facility as the Academy grew larger. In addition to the creation and training of operatives, the Academy also acted as both a bait for potential operatives and a think tank. Things continued as expected. _Blue Sun_ had control of a great set of assets which grew their power base. Even the failure of the Miranda project did not seem like a setback, not when they were slowly amassing teams of operatives who had been successfully upgraded with the serum they had retro-engineered from the blood of the frozen man and the Asset. They may not have worked out all of the issues with the process yet—over half of their potentials ended up needing to be put down for safety concerns or dying due to complications—but they _were_ getting better. Finding _The Tower_ had not been put on the Cortex as a bragging point, but its worth had proven to be so much _more_.

Maybe it would have remained that way if River Tam had never entered the Academy or if they had noticed what she was doing before it was too late.

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 _The River flows into the Girl_

River had always known things she shouldn't. To her, the universe was an endless sea of information, and something deep within her _demanded_ that she conquer it. She pushed and the world pushed back and that was _perfect_. The universe sang its secrets and River _listened_ , moving to it and letting the dance carry her away. The information was just there and it always stumped her why those around her struggled to learn. The universe would comfort her with a soft lullaby and off she'd spin into another waltz, laughing at silly people who worked too hard to do what would be easy if they just _listened_ like she did.

Simon loved her; her parents did not. She wasn't supposed to know that. It would have been bad for their image to have that emotion acknowledged as anything more than subtext. Simon had been planned and he was going to be a brilliant doctor—not just because that was their plan for Simon, but that is what he _would be_ (the universe had already whispered that secret to her). Then the Tams had tried for another potential heir, one who could take over Gabriel's businesses. Twins had been a surprise, but one was still the desired boy, so it was acceptable. River was what they ended up with, and no way to try again. She had been a disappointment from the start and because she _listened_ and knew things she _shouldn't_ , that disappointment turned to discomfort. It wasn't anyone's fault, not really. They were them and she was herself ( _not Aiden_ ) and it was what it was. Simon didn't know, too wrapped up in his studies and blinded by the _sheer love_ he felt for River (who couldn't love his brilliant sister?), and that was fine as well because knowing would only hurt Simon and that was _not_ acceptable. Her parents may not love her, but Simon _did_ ; that was enough for River.

When Simon left for medical school, River grew restless. The universe would carry little messages to her, snatches of songs from faraway places, and oh, how she wanted to go dance among those distant stars. Osiris may have been her world, but River wanted nothing more than to be somewhere much further away from her silk and satin luxury. She needed to push, but now the universe wasn't pushing back. It was pulling, correcting, guiding. The universe wanted River to go somewhere—and the longer it took River to get there, the more it became a _need_ rather than just a _want_. So River did as she always did when the universe sang of things, even the things she wasn't supposed to know: she _listened_.

It was Simon who had finally convinced her parents to let her go to the Academy. He had come back after graduating from the MedAcad (he always said ' _top 3%_ ' but River knew that it would have been higher if Simon hadn't picked a fight with a professor over a diagnosis without any more evidence to support his case than a vague _whisper_ in his ear and isn't that grand? Simon knows how to _listen_ which is good seeing that it is what he was _meant to do_ ) and completing his internship (only a year to complete; Gabriel and Regan were so _proud_ in all the ways they weren't of River and it was _fine_ ; it was _acceptable_ ; it was what it was). Simon saw that River wanted to go, and understood that it was becoming a _need_ , and Simon _listened_ because Simon _loved_ her (still could not see the discomfort growing into active dislike as she shows up the future Very Important People despite being a decade younger than them, but that was _fine_ and _acceptable_ because Simon's mind was still consumed with the bright swathes of _love_ and _laughter_ and _loyalty_ ; it was good that he was blind because _seeing_ would hurt him and that was still _not acceptable_ ). In the end, Gabriel and Regan were relieved to see River leave (she couldn't really help that everything was beginning to get rather crowded) and Simon settled into his residency (because he was a _brilliant_ doctor and would save so many lives even if he couldn't _sing_ —Gabriel may not know, but the universe knew that River would laugh at the off-key melody).

(And it was _fine_ ; it was nobody's fault, not _really_ ; and it was what it was.)

The Academy was an unpleasant place. No one _listened_ and yet most of them all _spoke_. The universe didn't like the place but couldn't really stop it because no one _listened_ and thus the universe wept for the waste of it all. The universe cautioned River against _pushing_ , even as River did it anyway. When the doctors and trainers reacted violently or angrily, the universe _whispered_ things and _sang_ songs to comfort her, and still River _pushed_ forward because there was still something that needed to be done. Knowledge burned all the secret parts of her, stabbing from around her. It _hurt_ so very much and she couldn't leave, _not yet_ , but she allowed the weakness steal her reason and wrote a letter full of nonsense, trusting that Simon will once again _listen_ , even if she _knew_ he couldn't really help and that would _hurt_ him, no matter how unacceptable it was.

Then the doctors handed the girl's training over to _him_ and the universe gave thrills of triumph as its laughter echoed in the darkness of the underground facility whose halls dripped with invisible blood. They called him _the Asset_ and sometimes other object names, but the universe spoke of different titles which River thought fit him so much better because he was _not_ an object or a weapon or a tool. He was a Soldier; and a Follower of _little punks who don't know when to quit_ ; and a Best Friend; and a Brother ( _bestest one in the whole world_ ); and now River _knew_ what the universe wanted, what was _needed_. Everything became just so clear and all of the pain became _worth it_. Volger could sit on his thumb and spin, because while he _plans_ on becoming Very Important, the man before her had already been Very Important for a long, long time (forever ago and long before the winter) and the others she could _see_ through him were as well.

Everything began to echo. The doctors' minds all whispered about _Miranda_ and how the experiment was _failing_ and it wasn't her secret! She shouldn't be made to keep it! The universe turned to weeping once more because they had all just laid down and gave up and didn't _listen_ and the others—the ones who _didn't_ were worse. They screamed and raged and took and even safely ensconced far away from those boogeymen, there were days where all the girl could do was rage with them.

The doctors had taken to sending the Soldier to deal with her, because on those days, none of their fancy words worked against the girl's terror at laying down overrode any command to sleep. On those days, they _danced_ , exchanging blows and kicks. He gave her kindness and compassion, all in silence and never once did his expression ever change as he watched her fall into the echoes of the _punk_ who should be here but wasn't. The girl pushed, and gloriously, he pushed back, and it would have been _perfect_ if it weren't for the missing piece. The universe whispered that it was close, but neither the girl nor the Asset were allowed to travel freely so finding it took time.

They used that time to build a plan between them, exchanging information as they sparred. Certain tactical information remained the same, only needed adaptation to fit current society. The Soldier's memories were returning steadily, faster now that he had the girl to go digging if needed. Her control over the _listening_ grew as the girl found she could use him as an anchor against that current. Things were not perfect, but they were what they were, as they had always been.

The handlers were moving her to another reinforcement session when she finally heard _him_ , the missing piece. They weren't expecting her rebellion, not even after all the issues they had been having with her minding them. The two handlers she was with went down immediately with broken tracheas ( _a target without weapons is a target defeated_ ) and the four guards took only moments longer. Then she was running among the echoes of a world long gone. She could pinpoint him now, and he was already looking her Soldier, but that was _fine_ , better than even not just acceptable. It was brilliant just like the rage now filling her, even though it was an echo as well, again from the missing piece—the Punk, the _Captain_ —and it was mixed with determination to follow the Plan. She couldn't remember whose plan now, but both were essentially the same, so that didn't matter.

The timing was _perfect_ because the girl found the Asset training a group of operatives on storing equipment efficiently. The universe laughed even as the Asset shed that persona and took up the more varied one that was the Soldier as he led the way from the room with River flowing behind him. They each took a full set of the tactical gear, and the Soldier grabbed a third one for Punk.

It was time to get their Captain.

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 _All Plans go Awry_

Simon didn't recognize her at first. In his defense, River had never given off an air of danger in the past. Nor had she ever shown any tendency to be violent. The young woman moving in sync with the brunet taking out guards and doctors as they made their way down the hall bore only a passing resemblance to the girl he had seen off to the Academy two years previously. _Vicious_ didn't even begin to describe how the pair fought. Working as a trauma surgeon for two years had done little to prepare him for watching just how quickly and completely a human body could be destroyed. Recognizing his _mèi-mei_ as one of the _shinigami_ he was watching advance upon him hit him like a blow to the gut, freezing him in place. He could only watch helpless as the man's weapon swung in the direction of his throat, certain that the white lab coat he had stolen to better blend in as he made his way deeper into the facility was now going to be the mark which got him killed. At the last possible moment, something spun him out of reach and slammed him face-first into a wall.

"Simon," his sister said and he had never heard her voice sound so cold. Simon couldn't help shivering at the sound of it. River had always been a bit distant from everyone, as if she was trying to communicate with people from another room or through curtains. She would laugh at shadows and spend hours staring at seemingly nothing with her head cocked to the side as if listening to something that couldn't be heard. He knew that she loved him and would do anything for him, but _that_ River had never spoken his name so flatly as if she was identifying an object rather than a person.

"Doctor," the man replied in the same tone. Simon shivered again as cold sweat trickled down his neck. He wanted to turn, to watch as his death descended, but there was a hand pressed against his back and while it exerted no real pressure, Simon got the distinct impression it was River warning him not to move. River wouldn't let him come to harm any more than he would her, regardless of how she sounded currently. He had to trust that.

"Rescue," River countered. Finally, her voice had something to it. Simon relaxed even if he was certain that her amusement was at his expense. The man gave a huff that could have been a laugh as easily as it could be frustration. The hand on his back gave him two quick pats before disappearing. Cautiously, Simon turned to face the two fighters. River lightly traced his face with her left hand before giving a faint smile. When she spoke again, recognition warmed her tone. "Simon."

"River," he breathed before pulling her into a tight hug. A door slammed open down the hall, startling him and making River spin out of his arms to stand in front of him. Every inch of her declared her intent to defend and Simon wanted to weep because that was so familiar, so much his brilliant _mèi-mei_ just like she had always been.

At the same time, her new companion stepped fully into Simon's view. The man was even more intimidating now that Simon had gotten a good look at him. Three inches of height different might as well have been three feet due to the differences in their shoulders. It occurred to Simon that this must be how River had always felt standing next to him. The flashing lights of the corridor reflected off the man's metal arm, as quick as lightning and just as frightening.

" _Punk_ ," the man declared, no trace of his previous flat iciness. He left them without a backwards glance and yet Simon knew (just knew like he sometimes did with patients) that he remained vigilant to their position. Down the hall, another man was storming towards them, just as intimidatingly large as the first man for all that his bare chest was covered in scars. (His medical knowledge categorized them as the remnants of biopsies, but there were _so many of them_ that it couldn't be true. No one could need so many and still be alive.) The relief on the new man's face at the sight of the brunet was palatable.

River began pulling him towards the pair as they embraced. Her grip on his arm would probably leave bruises but that was far better than being dead or having her still be trapped. Oh, but how would he get them all out? The deal had only been for River—but Simon _knew_ that these two men would be coming with them and that his _mèi-mei_ would never willingly leave either behind any more than she would him.

"Captain," River greeted when they had joined them. The pair of men pulled reluctantly away from each other, the blond more so than the brunet who fell into a faux casual stance next to River with his eyes sweeping the hallway with its myriad of doors. The blond examined River as if it were his first time seeing her and for all that Simon knew, it could have been—which made the intense affection on River's face feel inappropriate. His sister sometimes just _knew_ things about people, but the only other person he had ever seen her give that look was himself and the spike of jealousy left a bitter taste in his mouth. Then she blinked and all expression disappeared. Simon shuddered at the return of the _shinigami_ version of his sister after the glimpse of her more normal self. "Incoming. Doctor; Operatives in Escort."

"Dance?"

As the brunet held out his metal hand, Simon realized the true horror of what must have happened in this place. It is one thing for the letter to mention that the Academy was _hurting_ the students. It was quite another to realize that the one activity which his sister loved above all else had been twisted into a tool for murder. His stomach twisted as River took the man's hand and they literally waltzed into the small crowd rounding the corner. The group was no match for the two death agents and it was _wrong_ to see how easily they wrecked the obviously well-trained operatives after River executed a jab to the Doctor's throat ( _crushed trachea_ , his medical knowledge diagnosed unhelpfully).

Simon had known that the Academy trained assassins for the Alliance. He had learned a lot about their methods in the year he had spent trying to get into the facility and his 'friends' had made him memorize a list of phrases before they had even started arranging this little infiltration attempt—and the realization of why the doctors were being targeted the way they were hit him like a hammer. River met his eyes over her shoulder as she relieved the last operative she had dropped of his blade. She was still his _mèi-mei_ but she was also the _shinigami_ that the Academy had made her.

She had become Death, a destroyer of worlds.

And he still loved her more than anything else in the entire 'Verse.

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 _To Be Continued  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Specific Warning:** References to the Unification War, from both the perspective of people who had fought in it and those who live with them.

 **Author's Note(s):** Not my record for time between chapters. That is currently growing for a different story. Still I know it's been a while and for that I apologize.

 **Author's Note (Terms of Interest):** Shuĭ means _water_ ; Xīng means _star_ ; Wŭshì means _warrior_ ; Qízhì means _banner_ ; Lí means _thread_. That's all a mix of various dialects collectively known as Chinese. I pull from the standard sci-fi lingo for other terms, such as _'mets_ which is short for _biometrics_ or personal information and _vid_ for video. If you see a term that you're not familiar with and/or can't figure out from context, feel free to drop a comment/review asking.

 **Challenge/Competition Block:**  
 **Stacked with:** Final Frontiers; Not Commonwealth; Terms of Service; By Any Other Name; Fem Power Challenge; Never Leave; The Real MC; Long Haul*; Ethnic & Present; New Fandom Smell (Firefly/Serenity)*; Overrated*; **  
Representations:** BC Use; River Tam; Soldiers & Assassins; Crew as Family; Kaylee Frye **  
Bonus Challenges:** _Infinity_ ; _Lovely Coconuts_ ; _Under the Bridge_ ; Second Verse ( _Bechdel Tes_ t; Not a Lamp; _Ladylike_ \- Threatening; _Nontraditional_ ; _Found Family_ ; Wabi Sabi; _Middle Name_ ; Nightingale; _Tomorrow's Shade_ ; _Unwanted Advice_ ; _Some Beach_ ; Fruit Fly; _Zucchini Bread_ ; _Misshapen Pods_ ); Future (Queen Bee; Where Angels Fear)  
 **Word Count:** 3423

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To Be Determined  
Part 02: Gathering Parts  
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"Come with me, where chains will never bind you." – _Les Misérables  
_ -= LP =-

 _Stolen Dirges and Sweet Songs_

He had always known that he would eventually leave the Abbey. When he had entered the sacred hall, he had done so with that knowledge. He had needed the succor after the War and the Alliance had been willing to let him drift away into the shadows, a shame to be discarded and forgotten. His stolen name had never truly bothered him, serving only as a reminder of why he was hiding. It had not always been easy to hold to the lie, to keep the vows that served as a replacement for the orders he had previously followed so thoughtlessly. Men like him were never meant for peace and quiet; they were built for action. He knew that eventually he'd feel the need to wander the world again even as he dreaded it.

He never expected to be tempted away by a wisp of a girl who appeared on the end of his bed somehow without him noticing. They stared at each other, both acknowledging that the other was a dangerous predator and mentally factoring different plans to disable the other if needed. She gave him a tiny smile as she cocked her head as if listening to something beyond what he could hear. Slowly and reminiscent of a sleepy cat, she blinked at him and as if the action had been a command, he echoed it. Her smile transformed into a flash of a grin that showed too much teeth to be comforting to anyone outside of their line of work. Her steady gaze mesmerized him into remaining still as she straddled his hips in a move that was both innocent and seductive.

"Do you hear the song still, Shepherd?" she whispered as she leaned in close. "The People are singing. There are so many with broken faith, so many who could use a shepherd. Can you hear their cries, hidden in these walls? Or did you close your ears when you turned your gaze away?"

"I never looked away," he replied, knowing that it was his greatest shame and that his interrogator already knew it. "I never could."

"Dance with us, Shepherd, in the Valley of Death," the girl commanded. "The Shadow was blackened and took the bad soul with it. Evil must fear for the Light has been found and freed to shine once more. Will you dance with us?"

"How do I find you?"

She gave him a teasing lick on the nose before hopping away. Before he could maneuver himself into a sitting position she was at his window. The moonlight silhouetted her for a brief moment and then she was gone with all the sound of a stalking cat. Whoever had trained her had every right to be proud, even if she spoke only in code. He had no real idea where he was going tomorrow, but he was more than ready to face the world again.

He found himself wandering the Eavesdown Docks less than half a day later. He didn't know why he was there beyond a vague hope of righting all the wrongs he had done in his lifetime. He had stared down death so much that even the last decade spent in the serene surroundings of the Abbey had barely brought him onto an even keel. The girl was calling him back into the world, but amongst the shouting and demanding crowds of the Docks, her voice was easily lost. It was tempting to return to the Abbey, to hide away once more.

"You're gonna come with us," declared a happy voice. Turning back to the ship he had just looked away from, he saw the speaker—another slip of a girl but as different from his midnight visitor as day was from night. She was cheerfully sunny, and he could feel the warmth of her personality as easily as breathing. It took longer than he'd like to process her words.

"Excuse me?"

"You like ships," she said, barely hesitant over her observation with the chirpiness of youth. "You don't seem to be looking at the destinations. What you care about is the ships—" Her smile filled with pride. "—and mine's the nicest."

"She don't look like much," he countered teasingly. He did like the look of both the girl and the ship. The girl had a point when she mentioned that her ship was the nicest. The Eavesdown Docks were not known for their high-end carriers, which made the obviously worn but lovingly repaired ship the best one in the Docks currently. The girl's smile was crooked when she replied.

"Oh, she'll fool ya." A beat of silence flowed between them as the girl twirled her parasol. "You ever sail in a _Firefly_?"

"Long before you were crawling," he returned, feeling the weight of his long years for a moment. She was painfully young and her hopeful naivety stabbed at him like a knife. Her face froze momentarily as if he had just insulted her. It was _wrong_ that she was not smiling but he could not take back his words. He offered a bit of history to compensate her. "Not an aught-three though. Didn't have the extenders. Tended to shake."

She rose with an awkward grace that only the young truly had. She approached him with her parasol spinning hypnotically. He felt the weight of someone watching him. There were too many eyes and he could not look around to see if one of the sets belonged to his midnight visitor.

"So, uh, how come you don't care where you're goin'?"

"Cause how you get there is the worthier part," he said with a wry twist of his lips. It had been a lesson hard won and far too long in coming. The girl watched him with sad eyes as if she knew the cost of those words.

"Are you a missionary?" she asked softly. Despite how long he had been lying, he couldn't bring himself to do it again, not to this ray of sunshine.

"I guess. I'm a shepherd from the Southdown Abbey—Book," he said. He offered his hand in a gesture he had since become unaccustomed to giving. He had stolen the name, but it was the only one he had anymore. "I'm called Book."

"Well, I'm Kaylee and this here's _Serenity_." Kaylee gestured to the ship behind her. Memories flooded him for all that he was not there that day—when the Alliance rained down fire upon the abandoned Independents. He had seen the remains and that was more than enough. The Battle of Serenity Valley had been the last of a long bloody war. Many a man's faith had died that day, when ideals were abandoned. What should have been a place of peace had turned into a bloodbath—a dark valley full of death. _A Valley of Death_. The buzzing in his ears almost drowned out Kaylee's next words. "And she's the smoothest ride from here to Boros for anyone who can pay." She paused as if just remembering an important criterium. "Can you pay or—"

"Well, I've got a little cash and, uh—" He reached into his stack of worldly possessions for what he figured would be the perfect bribe. Kaylee's eyes lit up predictably at the sight of the fresh strawberries he had picked just that morning from the Abbey's gardens. In truth, he could have easily afforded the passage with the bills he had stashed away, many times over, but hearing the girl's wondrous appellation towards him, he knew that this guaranteed not only passage but loyalty. He was teasing when he corrected the title she used. "I never married."

Her answering grin showed no confusion but maintained the same easy affection. Regardless of the missing visitor, he was certain that this was where he was needed the most. He could almost hear the voices of the long-lost soldiers singing as he boarded the ship with his little cart of goods and his sole suitcase. It didn't matter if it was a dirge or a hymn, only that it was serene.

-= LP =-

 _Shiny Edges_

"Do you have room for four passengers?"

Kaylee forced her eyes away from where the shepherd had disappeared into the shadows of the cargo hold. The good shepherd had an air of sorrow about him, same kind as the captain, and it made her heart hurt. But she was to get paying passengers and here was a golden opportunity. The girl's clothing was lovely—almost too beautiful for the dusty heat of the Docks but practical in a way that Inara's finery wasn't. A dark blue shawl covered her black hair and slim shoulders despite the heat, and her boots disappeared under her floaty skirt—the boots were heavy like Zoe's, more than easily capable of a march over rough terrain. The girl was beautiful but it was a dangerous beauty like that of a venomous snake or a hunting cat. Kaylee could see the deadliness of her in the way that she held herself—so much like Zoe despite the lack of obvious weaponry.

"The _Serenity_ can handle that many, but I don't think we're offerin' a group discount."

"We're not asking," the girl returned with a smile. She stepped closer and it took more will than Kaylee cared to admit to keep from backing away. The girl hesitated as if she could sense Kaylee's instinctual fear. Her head cocked to the side like the hounds back home would do when they were confused. After a beat, she straightened and bringing her palms together, offered a bow instead of coming any nearer. "This girl is called _Shuĭ._ My companions are bringing gifts befitting such a noble vessel." She released the bow to look past Kaylee, examining the ship. A tiny smile played with her thin lips. "Serenity is such a prized quality, after all, even when darkened by sorrow. This girl has heard one never leaves even when one does."

Shuĭ rocked from her toes to her heels and back again. Her shawl slipped off her head, revealing a riot of dark curls that fluttered in the hot breeze that weave its way through the Docks. Kaylee could see that Shuĭ truly was a _girl_ , probably only sixteen or so, which made the aura of danger just wrong. To cover up her unease, Kaylee continued making the arrangements for their trip. It was nice to have some honest business for once.

"So, four rooms, then?"

"Just three, I think," Shuĭ said after a moment's thought. She turned suddenly, bringing Kaylee's attention to a man approaching from the direction of the shops. "Xīng, trouble?"

"I don't think so, but Bucky said he had something to take care of and not to worry. Your brother is a few minutes behind with the things you said were necessary. You gonna share why you need a compression coil? Because I don't understand and Bucky refused to explain."

His accent was soft compared to some others Kaylee had heard in her time traveling on the _Serenity_ , giving just bit of a burr to the edges of his words. It was _very_ attractive, especially in combination with the man's handsome face. His blond hair was cut close to his head and his eyes were the exact shade of the sky back on her home world. Beyond all that handsomeness, he had said the magic words, at least they were magical to the mechanic.

"You're bringing aboard a compression coil? And it's for _Serenity_?"

"Gift," the girl confirmed. She hummed a little, barely audible in the din of the crowd. Kaylee could hear _Serenity_ 's answering purr in that spot within where machines just spoke to her. Kaylee wasn't smart, not like Wash or Zoe with their Academy training or Inara with her Companion training. She didn't need any fancy learning to know that the girl was dangerous and balanced on the edge of a knife. She also knew that her girl wanted this girl and things may not always be smooth with her aboard, but she'd be good for them.

So Kaylee threw her arms around the dark-haired girl's neck as she would one of her brothers back home, not missing how Shuĭ's companion had surged forward as if to fend off an attack. Kaylee didn't know if she was happy that the girl had inspired such loyalty or sad about what it meant that Xīng had such protective instincts over the girl—it was so much like how the Captain and Zoe could be on the bad days. Kaylee gave the man an understanding smile over Shuĭ's shoulder, unwilling to let go until the girl hugged back. Kaylee understood machines; they just spoke to her sometimes, without saying a word. People are like machines, too, just harder to fix if they got broke. Slowly, the girl raised her arms to return the embrace and the triumph tasted like Granny's apples, sharp and sweetly delicious.

Kaylee liked the quartet that filled out their roster for the trip. The girl and the blond had been joined by Shuĭ's brother Simon and another man whose eyes tracked the blond like Zoe's did with Wash when she was stressed or there was trouble. Simon wore finery similar to Inara's and it marked him as a classy type just the same as Inara's did. He was clearly more used to comfort and quiet than the rough quarters he found himself in now—but he hovered protectively over his _mèi-mei_ even more that the other men did. If Kaylee was honest, she was half-sweet on him already and ruing the day when they'd reach Boros.

The blond—Xīng was what Shuĭ called him—also hovered over the girl but unlike Simon, he kept out of the way usually, giving her space without appearing to think about it—like how the Captain did Zoe and Kaylee's heart was hurting again over it. Xīng didn't hesitate to help with any heavy lifting that needed to be done, like he was used to just doing what needed to be done. His clothes were similarly practical—he dressed like Jayne, really, all fitted pants and pullovers. His smile was crooked and charming but hardly ever reached his eyes. That was like her Captain, too.

To round out the group was possibly the scariest man Kaylee had ever seen. Despite being even bigger than Jayne, Bucky had a knack for blending into shadows all quiet-like. He would stay out of the way and never offered to help shift things as the group's effects were stowed and organized. Considering the way he wore the simple _hanfu_ that covered him, Kaylee wasn't surprised. There may have been bulk in the tucked panel, meaning his left arm was still _there_ , but Kaylee knew plenty of men back home who kept bits that didn't work completely, just so long as they weren't problems. (Kaylee didn't ask what had happened—not after the girl had called him _wŭshì_ as if it was as much a title as a name. They all looked too young to have served in the Unification War, on either side, but that didn't stop them from having the look of having gone through a war.) Bucky didn't hover over Shuĭ, but Kaylee had noticed how the pair could synchronize without a word between them or any signal that Kaylee could pick up, so maybe he didn't need to. If Xīng was like the Captain, then Bucky was their Zoe, all dark and dry and dangerous.

They didn't give their last names, and the Captain didn't ask. It was like that out here in the black, Kaylee had found. People took to the sky to get as far from something as they could, usually. So everybody understood not to be pushy for the 'mets of those there just for a while. Kaylee used to do that with petting the curs back home. A body had to let them come closer on their own because pushing would only make them run away, even attack if they were in a pack. Kaylee understood that kind of mentality, understood that some families weren't made by being born to them. _Serenity_ 's crew were a family, after all, even with all the bickering and threats.

Later, when the passengers had been gathered into the galley for the Captain's welcoming speech, Kaylee could see the tension between them all. It was like watching the dogs circling each other back home—no one willing to be violent-like but testing each other just the same. Kaylee felt very outnumbered in that room, right then. With Wash on the bridge and Inara still in her shuttle, the only other person who didn't ooze restrained danger was Simon, who held still himself like he was expecting a fight to break out at any moment. Despite coming separate from the quartet, the Shepherd kept a weather eye on the girl as well, though he was more subtle-like about than the Captain. Zoe stood behind the Captain, gun in clear display in her thigh holster but her arms crossed like she couldn't reach it in less than a moment if needed. Jayne was the picture of relaxation as he sat at the table using his largest hand-knife to clean his nails. Occasionally, he'd look at Bucky or Xing with the squinty look he thought was intimidating.

"The way I hear it," Mal began after finishing his appraisal of the group, "is that in addition to payin' with cashy goodness, y'all are giving Kaylee a compression coil—used but just barely, almost like new even."

"No," Shuĭ denied. Kaylee felt herself droop in disappointment. Her girl really needed that coil. Simon made a noise in his throat like he was choking and Xīng gave him a helpful thump on the back. Bucky didn't react at all. The girl flashed Kaylee a smile, like they were sharing a joke. "I'm giving _Serenity_ the compression coil. Kaylee's her handler."

"And what are you gonna want in way of compensation?"

"Same as you," she answered solemnly, as if the words held extra weight to them that required special handling. "Not to have to jump. To not lie down. To be too damn pretty. To make them choke on their words." Her eyes were growing hazy as if she was looking at something farther away than Mal's paling face. Zoe came to attention behind the Captain, arms unfolding to allow one to drop to her gun. Xīng shifted in preparation of defending the brunette. Jayne stopped cleaning his nails to watch the potential action. "To run, but crawlin' will do—"

" _Shuĭ_ ," Bucky interrupted. For all its softness, the word was sharp. The girl immediately went silent and so still she didn't even seem to be breathing. Kaylee had never seen Mal so angry. Zoe only looked thoughtful, her dark eyes examining the girl. Bucky's gaze stayed focused on Shuĭ while Xīng kept watching Mal and Zoe. The shepherd had his hands folded and pressing against his stomach while Simon looked like he wanted to hover some more but was holding back.

"Look, I don't know what you're playin' here," Mal snapped after a beat of silence, "or where you heard that stuff, but you best be stoppin' the game now. _Dŏng ma_?"

"The girl understands but does not comprehend," Shui replied, clearly confused about something. Kaylee watched as the girl turned to look at Bucky for the first time, even though doing so put her back to Jayne. Her tone was flat when she spoke. " _Wŭshì_?"

"They're secrets, Shuĭ," he replied. "Yours or not, remember you carry 'em, not the other way. Don't drift."

It was the most Kaylee had heard him speak since arriving. He had the same burr to his words as Xīng but there were strange edges to other words. It was like he spoke too many languages for his accent to be only one. There was a doctor who traveled through her town a few years before she joined _Serenity_ 's crew—he and the woman with him sounded the same way. Shuĭ spun to focus on her.

"She's seen them—Lí and Qízhì."

Kaylee had never seen eyes like hers before. It seemed wrong that they should be so empty and yet so full at the same time. Deep inside, Kaylee could hear _Serenity_ weeping like she was being torn apart. Shuĭ's eyes swelled like the sky above the Frye family farm on a hot summer night. Kaylee felt like she was tilting forward off the cliff that the local kids liked for diving. Then Mal spoke shattering the effect.

"Huh."

-= LP =-  
To be continued  
-= LP =-


End file.
